Illinois Online Casinos
The state of Illinois has made a plea to legalise more forms of online gambling, however, this endeavour has not proven to be fruitful.
The Prairie State is restricted by both federal and state laws, making certain forms of gambling legal and others illegal until a reform bill is passed.
While not as strict as states like Hawaii and Utah, where all forms of gambling are prohibited, Illinois still has a long way to go in order to become a trailblazing state for punters.
Here, players are able to enjoy a night out at a land-based casino, play a friendly game of poker with their friends or bet on pari-mutuel horse races, meaning there is some leeway. However, the state of Illinois is not as lenient towards online gambling activities as one may suspect.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Illinois?
The legalisation of online casino gaming, poker play and sports betting has really opened up across an increasing number of US states in recent years, giving players and punters lots more choice when it comes to where and how they can play games and bet on sports.
In Illinois, casino and sports fans alike have access to a great market that they can enjoy! From 2019 sports betting has been legal, while casinos that provide games like poker or even slots still have to operate through riverboats.
Minimum Legal age to Gamble in Illinois
One of the stipulated regulations that license holders must follow and enforce is the age limit. In a similar manner to land-based casinos, online and land-based casinos, as well as sports betting sites, must not allow anyone under the age of 21 to register an account or play any of the games.
This is in contrast to lotteries and horse racing betting sites that allow membership to anyone over 18.
Responsible operators enforce this minimum age rule by verifying the identity of their members.
This usually involves requesting documentary proof of ids such as driver's license, social security number and other commonly used documents. If players are found to be in breach of the site's T&Cs, their account will be closed immediately, any winnings will not be paid and legal action may be taken.
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Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert